The UN-Habitat’s report - Cities and Pandemics: Towards a more just, green and healthy future – evidences how cities can reduce the impact of future pandemics and become more prosperous, fair and environmentally friendly. The Report calls for the response and recovery to pandemics to be based on human rights principles. It outlines how cities should lead the move towards a New Social Contract between governments, the public, civil society and the private sector.

This Analysis Report uses the Index of Multiple Deprivations as an effective diagnostic tool for measuring relative deprivation and inequalities in small areas, such as secondary cities and towns. The analysis shows that by 2050, 6 out 10 people in Africa will live in urban areas and 70 per cent of them will be children and youth.

In cities and urban areas in East Africa, livelihoods and incomes of populations are seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for those living in informal settlements. These urban populations are more vulnerable to food insecurity and unstable livelihoods as they mainly depend on the informal sector. It is estimated that the number of food insecure people in East Africa will increase to more than 41 million people because of COVID-19 including 14 million urban dwellers.

UN-Habitat’s three-pronged approach considers spatial planning in relation to legal and institutional frameworks, in addition to financial mechanisms. The demonstration project for Buraidah has been elaborated to include schematic designs and feasibility studies, that can later be transformed into implementation plans. This Demo project is to inform Policy making of needed urban reforms.